Category Archives: Messages from the MCP

Pastors & Communications contacts:

Note the FLYER for the new course on Ministry of the Evangelist, being offered at the Grove City congregation.  I think this may be the first offering of this course in the field since its development, as you can tell by the fact the course book is not yet in final form.

While the course is designed for Evangelists, it’s also designed for all people so they may have a better understanding of this office. Please feel free to invite everyone to attend.

We’re breaking the 10 hours into two days.  If there are people wanting to take it but who need a place to stay overnight Friday please let me know.  I think there are one or two homes available.

Blessings,

Vern

Tuesday, December 08, 2015 6:22 PM

Community of Hope and Joy: Kraybill

Congratulations to Jan Kraybill (Principal Organist, Dome and Spire Foundation, IHQ) for her recent Grammy nomination.

Together with the Kansas City Symphony Jan was nominated for best-engineered album for her work on “Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, Organ”. We knew she was a gift to the church – now she’s a gift for the world. Thank you Jan, and congratulations!

Zac Harmon-McLaughlin, World Church Minister and currently Missionary Coordinator for the Eastern Great Lakes Mission Center, has accepted the position of the Sierra Pacific Mission Center President effective 1-1-16.  He will continue his responsibilities with the Eastern Great Lakes MC until 12-31-15, at which time he will relocate to the Sierra Pacific Mission Center.  His wife, Katie Harmon-McLaughlin, will continue in her current role as the Spiritual Formation Specialist from a home office in California.  We look forward to Zac’s and Katie’s continued ministry.

~Human Resource Ministries

Church Historian Mark Scherer shares these words of celebration with us – Today is the thirtieth anniversary of the first ordination of women into the priesthood.  This may well be the most important event of the modern day in expanding sacramental ministries of the church to both men and women.  Without question this courageous move by church leaders redirected the church’s journey to where it is today.  Let us all rejoice.

Friends,

As the holiday season nears and our largest contribution months approach, we would like to share with you a giving challenge issued by Mark Euritt, bishop of generosity for multi-nations; David Nii, bishop of the United States; and Dar Shepherdson, bishop of Canada. This challenge will appear in the December Herald.

YEAR-END CHALLENGE

Last year in an amazing outpouring of generosity, members and friends of Community of Christ gave $1.9M in worldwide mission tithes in the month of December. World Church leaders were grateful for this wonderful blessing which provided insights on our capacity as a community to share when we are focused on our opportunities for mission.

Can we exceed that number this year? We believe the answer is yes. And so we challenge you to give again what you gave last year in December and prayerfully consider giving even a small amount more. If each contributor were to give just $10 more than last year, and if new contributors joined the effort, that could make the total for December 2015 more than $2M! What an incredible blessing that would be as we seek to restore and grow ministries around the world. Will you accept the challenge?

We hope that you will take the opportunity in the next couple of weeks to forward this important message to pastors and CFOs. In addition, if you have opportunity to share this challenge in other ways in your mission center, we hope you will do so. Thank you for helping to spread the word and build enthusiasm. We’re excited to see how the church responds.

~The Presiding Bishopric

Greetings, pastors, communications contacts and CFO’s:

CB will be hiring a new head cook and a lifeguard for next summer. The board will meet next month to discuss salary and other duties, but in the meantime, if you know of anyone who might be interested in working at camp next summer please have them send a note to Doug Altman.  His address is altman.doug@yahoo.com

Blessings,

Vern

WOMC Pastors and Communications contacts:

Kristin Carnahan is directing Jr. Camp next year and would like to ask you for recommendations for Staff, both adult and CIT’s. CIT’s must be at least 15 years old. All camp staff must be Youth Worker Registered and have a BCI on record with the Mission Center. We find it most difficult to get adult male staff. The dates for this camp are June 19-22. It is only Sunday through Wednesday. The kids attending are entering grades 2-6. Thanks for your help.

Blessings,
Vern

Apostle Andrew Bolton, Asia Mission Field, reports that “Typhoon Koppu (known as Lando locally) has hit the island of Luzon in the Philippines Sunday morning 18^th October.  Luzon is where our 12 congregations are situated, and all of them will be affected by the typhoon. The hurricane force storm is moving very slowly and so the rainfall will be very heavy – up to 36 inches in some parts.  It is forecast that over 7 million people will need help. I could only get through to two of our staff Sunday morning local time: Leslie G Pascua Jr. and Josie Magabilin.   They already have no electricity and so time on cell phones is limited.  They are currently experiencing very strong winds as the storm approaches.

Prayers are requested for all those being affected in the Philippines.  More reports will follow.

~Kris Judd, Staff Pastor

Greetings, pastors and communications contacts:

I’m happy to report that Apostle Rick Maupin (and perhaps Diane) will be our guest minister(s) for reunion, June 25-July 1, 2016.  I first met Rick when he was Mission Center President of the Heart of Texas Mission Center and I’m looking forward to his ministry once again.  Due to the World Church Finance Board meeting on June 25-26, Rick will be unable to join us until Sunday night or Monday morning.  Our Sunday morning guest minister will be Craig Martens.

We already have a baptism service scheduled for Sunday evening, so please advise me if you have anyone desiring to be baptized at camp that day.

Don’t forget we will have the Camp Bountiful Association meeting on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 and lunch on Sunday is free for all in attendance.

Blessings,
Vern

Dangerous situation in Nepal: On September 20 a new constitution will be promulgated in Nepal.  One of the controversial issues is that the new constitution will give freedom of religion. More than two-thirds of members of the Constitutional Assembly have voted in approval. Nepal was a Hindu state before it embraced secular democracy in 2006.  Hindu militants, who want the return of the monarchy and for Nepal to return to be a Hindu state, are acting violently in protest.  On Tuesday around midnight Nepal time 3 Christian churches were bombed near two of our congregations. Fortunately no one was killed on this occasion.  However, 40 people have been said to have been killed in the recent clashes against the draft Constitution and the security has been heightened around the assembly hall of the Constituent Assembly in Kathmandu.   

Our staff member Binod Adhikari has asked for prayers for the safety of brothers and sisters in Biratnagar, Sunsari and Kathmandu at this time.

Let us also pray for other Christians, and Muslims, and Buddhists who may also be targeted especially around the 20^th September.

~Andrew Bolton, Apostle Asia Mission Field